How to Tell the Doneness of Meat with Your Finger

by DIY Maven
on Jul 22, 2011

Okay, you know how on Top Chef the contestants can touch a piece of meat with their fingertips and they can tell its 'doneness'? It always impresses because I'm more of a thermometer girl, or--worse yet--a stick a knife in there and poke around girl. Anyway, there really isn't any magic behind the finger test. It's just a matter of knowing what you're feeling for, so says Elise at Simply Recipes. For instance, raw feels like the fleshy bit at the base of your thumb, demonstrated here:

Now press your pinky to your thumb and feel the same spot. You'll see that fleshy part has firmed up quite a bit. This is how well-done meat should feel.